Global warming and its effects on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia feature. Aerial view of the Great Barrier reef off the Whitsunday Islands.Based on figures from The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) it is estimated ...

Global warming and its effects on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia feature. Aerial view of the Great Barrier reef off the Whitsunday Islands.Based on figures from The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) it is estimated by government, media and environmental activists that export coal expansion plans in Queensland would create additional global greenhouse pollution equal to 125% of Australia’s total current emissions; or the same as the CO2 pollution from 65 average sized coal-fired power stations. Australia is considered by environmental activists as one of the world’s highest per capita polluters and exports more CO2 than is emitted domestically. In 2006/7, Australia exported around 243 million tonnes (Mt), 30% of the world’s total coal exports, equal to 656 Mt of CO2.